Ann Cummins
…disturbing and illuminating…There's nothing clinical or dry about Yellow Dirt. While Pasternak cites a wide array of specialists in fields ranging from geology to nuclear physics, the story unfolds like true crime, where real-life heroes and villains play dynamic roles in a drama that escalates page by page…Pasternak is a compelling writer…
—The Washington Post
Publishers Weekly
Journalist Pasternak details the history of American uranium mining and its horrific consequences for the Navajo people in this stunning tale of deception, betrayal, and bitter consequences. Situated atop some of the richest uranium deposits in the country, the reservation covers parts of Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona and the area was instrumental in the building of the atomic bomb and, later, the cold war arms race. From 1930 to 1960, Navajo miners worked long days without ventilation or protective gear, while mining companies and government officials withheld from them information about the hazards of radiation. As birth defects and cancers became more prevalent than in the general population (residents of the reservation were 15-200 times more likely to contract stomach cancer), government agencies actively prevented the Navajos from connecting their illnesses to the uranium saturating their water, homes, livestock, and topsoil. The author brings half a century of deception to light and details the halting efforts to secure compensation for the victims. With nuclear power once more being discussed as a solution to America’s energy problems, Pasternak’s portrait of a devastated community and callous governmental indifference is crucial reading. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
"An explosive account.... Disturbing and well-documented." ---Kirkus Starred Review
NOVEMBER 2010 - AudioFile
Judy Pasternak, an investigative reporter for the L.A. TIMES, details the dreadful story of the effect of uranium mining on Navajo lands. It’s a litany of disasters: Navajo miners dug out the uranium without any protection or safety standards, the federal government and company in charge eventually gave the land back without cleaning up the mess, the Navajo built their houses using dirt with uranium tailings in it, and the residents drank contaminated water. Laural Merlington develops an authentic sound for the many Navajo individuals interviewed and delivers Navajo words credibly. Although she varies her pacing and tone, a little more outrage in her voice would not be amiss. Pasternak is clearly appalled, and that should be more palpable in Merlington’s performance. A.B. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
